Say Goodbye to Google Labs

Get ready to say bye-bye to Google Labs. Google, which is known for its experimentation and innovation, has decided that they are shuttering the doors to Google Labs permanently.

The company announced the decision via blog post, saying that they are closing down Google Labs products in an effort to refocus their energy on fewer products. More wood behind fewer arrows, so to speak.

“While we’ve learned a huge amount by launching very early prototypes in Labs, we believe that greater focus is crucial if we’re to make the most of the extraordinary opportunities ahead.”

So which Labs products will survive? Well not everything will disappear. Any Labs products that are Android apps will still be available on the Android Market. It also doesn’t mean that Gmail Labs or Maps Labs will be going away either. Both products will be staying put right where they are—they just won’t be seeing any new experimental additions.

Fortunately for Google’s engineers, Google’s well-known “20 percent time” isn’t dying out either. For one day a week, engineers get to spend their time working on a project of their choosing that’s not in their job description. The death of innovation? Hardly.

Erica Ho was previously a reporter for TIME in Hong Kong where she wrote about technology, pop culture and Asian international affairs. Before that, she worked at Gizmodo, Lifehacker and AOL. She now currently runs Map Happy, a travel-oriented site.